Computing systems including many advanced networking devices (such as switches and routers) typically contain a combination of hardware and software components, such as processors, buses, memory elements, input/output devices, operating systems and applications. Computing systems also include a data transfer subsystem to transfer data between the components inside the computing system. Older data transfer subsystems, such as Peripheral Component Interconnect (‘PCI’) and the PCI-eXtended (‘PCI-X’), include a computer bus that logically connects several components over the same set of wires and transfers data among the components in parallel. Newer data transfer subsystems, such as PCI Express (‘PCIe’) based subsystems, include point-to-point connections between components that facilitate serial data transmittal.